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Simchat Torah is the culmination of a month filled with uplifting
experiences.
We have stood in awe before the King of the Universe; we have been
forgiven and cleansed by His mercy; and we have experienced the joy
of uniting with G-dliness through His beautiful commandments.
Now, we rejoice with His Torah.
We take the sacred scrolls in our arms and dance together, scholar
and novice alike.
During the dancing, the scroll remains in its cover, for this is
not a time for study.
The joy of Simchat Torah is far greater than any delight we may
derive from intellectual understanding. Here again, we emphasize
that sublime level of the Jewish soul where we are all one.
As the Circle Turns
On the evening of Simchat Torah, (and, as the
Chabad Custom, in many communities, on the previous evening of Shemini
Atzeret, we make seven "hakafot"
(circlings) around the bimah, singing and dancing with the Torah
scrolls.
On the morning of Simchat Torah, the final portion of
the Torah is read, completing the annual cycle. Then we immediately start
reading the beginning. Thus, we continue to nourish ourselves from the
infinite wisdom of G-d's Torah - the eternal force that has bound us
together and sustained us for more than 3,300 years.
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